Spotify Expands Beyond Streaming, Plans to Sell Physical Books Through New Retail Partnership
Spotify is expanding beyond streaming, partnering with Bookshop.org to sell physical books and challenge Amazon’s dominance in the retail space.
Spotify, long recognised as a go-to platform for music, podcasts and audiobooks, is now preparing to step into an entirely new space — selling physical books. The company is broadening its ambitions beyond digital content and is gearing up to enter the traditional bookstore market later this year.
In a move that signals its growing retail aspirations, Spotify has teamed up with online retailer Bookshop.org to enable users to purchase hard copies of books directly through the app. This partnership will allow Spotify to offer physical titles without managing inventory or logistics itself. Instead, Bookshop.org will handle warehousing, pricing and shipping, giving Spotify a low-risk way to test the waters in book retail.
The strategy puts Spotify in unexpected competition with established giants like Amazon, which has long dominated both online book sales and digital reading formats. For a brand that built its identity around streaming and downloads, the shift toward tangible products marks a notable change in direction.
The decision is particularly intriguing given the broader market trend. In recent years, readers have steadily moved toward e-books and audiobooks, leading to slower growth in physical book sales. Spotify itself has invested heavily in audiobooks, making this expansion into print somewhat surprising. However, the company appears to see an opportunity to create a more complete ecosystem — serving listeners and readers alike under one platform.
The service is expected to launch first in the US and UK. While Spotify will act as the storefront, Bookshop.org will operate behind the scenes, managing fulfilment and inventory. This setup effectively allows Spotify to become an alternative to traditional bookstores without the overhead costs of physical retail spaces.
At a time when many independent bookstores are closing or being acquired by larger chains, Spotify’s asset-light model offers a modern approach to book sales. By integrating books into its app, the platform hopes to tap into its massive user base and convert music and audiobook listeners into buyers of physical titles.
Beyond books, Spotify continues to strengthen its focus on artificial intelligence features. The company has been rolling out new AI-powered tools to premium users, including its “AI Playlist” feature. The tool allows listeners to generate playlists based on prompts and moods, acting almost like a personal music assistant. Users can refine their requests to better match their preferences, making music discovery more interactive.
With this blend of AI innovation and retail expansion, Spotify is clearly positioning itself as more than just a streaming service. Whether selling books alongside songs will resonate with customers remains to be seen, but the move signals the company’s intent to diversify and compete in entirely new markets — potentially reshaping how users experience both reading and listening in one place.
